Are your family trips an exercise in pleasure or comfort? Behavior economics guru Dan Ariely notes that there's a vivid difference between the two... and it may mean the difference between a fantastic vacation and...

People with disabilities shouldn't have to try and pass as able in the workplace, says writer and comedian Maysoon Zayid. But the sad reality is that America's largest minority remains invisible throughout popular...

You've Heard of OCD, But Do You Really Understa...You've Heard of OCD, But Do You Really Understand It? :: Big Thinkers on Mental Health

The Suicide Rate is Going Up. Here’s What We Ca...The Suicide Rate is Going Up. Here’s What We Can Do to Stop it.

Big Think and the Mental Health Channel are proud to launch Big Thinkers on Mental Health, a new series dedicated to open discussion of anxiety, depression, and the many other psychological disorders that affect millions worldwide.

The Faux Pas of Foie Gras

Attention foie gras lovers: your favorite French delicacy will now be made in China. The world's largest goose farm and foie gras factory will open in China on the banks of Poyang Lake in the Jiangxi Province, according to the Economic Observer. And if that wasn't enough international hands in the pot, Creek Project, and American Investment company will put $100 million dollars into the venture.

The planned farm will raise around two million geese and eight million ducks annually. China currently produces about 1,000 tons of foie gras each year, double its output in 2006. France still remains No. 1 in this market with about 20,000 tons a year.

Geese are subjected to the process of gavage, where they are force fed corn in order to fatten up their livers. Germany and Poland have outlawed the practice. After 2019, the European Union will ban the cuisine altogether. California currently prohibits the sale of foie gras.

But what's bad for the goose is also bad for the gander, as well as the consumer. The forced feeding is not only harming the animals, but also the humans who eat the foie gras.

“When a physical entity suddenly receives a large quantity of food, the liver quickly becomes exhausted and this causes them to produce large amounts of trace toxins,” the nutrition expert Yu Li explained to the Economic Observer.

It gets worse.

“The corn that is used in the West to feed the geese or ducks is clean. In China, corn is often moldy. It contains cancer-causing aflatoxin. This is commonly detected by China’s food industry and commerce departments. Geese or ducks subject to such a diet will be very unhealthy,” Zhou stated.

Foie gras is joining the list of other controversial gourmet food items coming from China, like bird's nest soup and shark fin soup, which may soon be banned from New York state.

Chinese consumers have embraced products from western countries and they’re especially fond on luxury goods, according to a report by McKinsey & Company. By 2020, China’s consumption will double to $4.8 trillion, making it the second largest consumer market after the U.S.